This is the perfect time to reflect on the year with your family. 

But… that can feel pretty out of reach. How are we supposed to help our kids reflect? That’s not typically a thing kids are willing to sit still and do. 

Fortunately, the wise Vanessa Quigley is here to help! 

Vanessa is the co-founder of Chatbooks and is also a mom of seven kids. As a successful business owner and household runner, she knows a thing or two, and she joined me for a fantastic, insightful conversation about how to reflect on the year with your family. I loved her insights and can’t wait to share them with you! 

But before we get to Vanessa’s takeaways, I want to tell you about a worksheet I’ve designed that goes along with these takeaways. This worksheet includes a summary of Vanessa’s takeaways, as well as a printable and fillable page with questions to guide your family through the reflection process. I hope it’s a helpful resource! 

Okay, let’s dive in! 

 

Vanessa Quigley’s Tips for How to Reflect on the Year with Your Family: 

 

1. Consider hosting a “Remember When” Celebration. 

This can be a dinner, a family night around the fireplace, or a breakfast. You can make it fancy or casual.  Do whatever works with your season of life. The key is to ask each person in your family to reflect on some questions, such as: what is the most important lesson you learned this year? What challenges did you overcome? What new skills did you learn? Who or what had the biggest impact on your life this year? And what advice would you give your last year self? Take turns sharing your answers and see what discussions come up! 

If you’re interested in seeing the questions that my mom asked us to fill out every year that I still fill out every year, those are included in the free worksheet that I created to go along with this episode. 

 

2. Decide on a family theme for the upcoming year. 

Brainstorm with your family some different values you share or things you want to work on and see if you can work them into some sort of a theme for the upcoming year. I love Vanessa’s idea of “look up” as a theme. It’s so simple and yet has many different types of applications that allow you to use the theme throughout the year. 

 

3. Create a photo book with memories from the year. 

Looking at photos produces a flood of endorphins to override the exhaustion and end-of-year blues. Plus, the book will be a treasure for your whole family for years to come. You don’t have to make it fancy! You just want to fill it with accomplishments, setbacks, highlights, and everyday moments. Vanessa’s Chatbooks app makes getting started – and following through! – really easy. 

 

Don’t you love these suggestions from Vanessa? I’m especially excited to host the “Remember When” Celebration and hear what my kids bring up about this past year. Don’t forget to grab the worksheet to help you with your family discussion! 

 

 

Save this summary to Pinterest so you can use it later! 👇

What did you think of Vanessa’s tips on how to reflect on the year with your family? Do you have any tips to add? Comment below! 

 

 

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Related Episodes like this one on How to Reflect on the Year with Your Family: 

• 215: 3 Questions to Ask Yourself for the New Year
• 267: How to Stop Procrastinating in the New Year // Monica Packer
• 349: Overcoming Decision Fatigue through Reflection // Emily P. Freeman

 

About our Guest: 

Vanessa Quigley is a true rockstar, a mom, and a business owner whom I try to emulate. Vanessa is a renowned memory expert and a mother of seven. In 2014, Vanessa co-founded Chatbooks to make it easier for families to organize and enjoy their family stories through easy-to-make beautiful photo books. Vanessa was named Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017. She authored the DIY advice book Real Moms Real Hacks, and she hosts the MomForce Podcast, which is in the top 3% of parenting podcasts nationwide. In 2021, Chatbooks was named the number one place to work for women in the United States by Fortune Magazine.

Announcements:

• Use code 3in30 for 20% off your Chatbooks order through January 4th, 2025

 

 

Get in touch with our Guest!

• Website: Chatbooks  
• Instagram: @chatbooks

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